Just a Smile
by Purin26
Summary: "A smile was all they needed from each other." A one-shot on the love between Toph and Aang. Fluff. Mentions of Zutara & kissing.


**A/N**: Yay first fic! :D Aah, Nothing better than starting my writing with good ol' Taang. I love them to bits! This was a collab done with my younger sister, Xiahou Ayumi. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: If I owned Avatar, Taang would have happened and Appa could talk.

Aang let out a relieved sigh as he laid on the soft green grass. After a long and tiring day of practising his earthbending skills, the grass has never felt more softer. A soothing breeze blew across his face, while the trees surrounding him swayed to the melodic rhythm of the wind. It was like a deserved reward for him after a hard day's work, and it was lulling him to sleep.

What made this moment even more rewarding was the person right next to him. A smile slowly crept on his face as he watched his beautiful earthbending teacher, best friend and now _girlfriend_, in a seemingly deep slumber. He admired how peaceful she looked in her sleep, with a few strands of hair across her face and a small delicate smile playing on her lips. He heaved a contented sigh and listened to the sounds of her steady heartbeat through the earth beneath him.

_She's smiling in her sleep_, he thought. It was a rare sight to behold. It must have been the tranquility of their scenery that had made her feel so relaxed, so.. _peaceful_. Admiring the scintillating beauty that laid right beside him, the Avatar couldn't help but hold her tiny calloused hand in one of his. Slowly, he closed his eyes shut, ready to enter the wonderful world of dreams that was awaiting his presence. With his earthbender beside him, everything felt just perfect to to Aang, and he soon proceeded to fall asleep..

.. that is, if two_ very_ familiar voices hadn't decided to interrupt him at that moment.

Aang cracked an eye open in annoyance. _Who in the name of flying bisons would ..? _

Then it dawned on him. He knew these two voices all too well; it was none other than his waterbending teacher and ex-girlfriend, Katara with her current lover, Prince Zuko.

Aang groaned into his hands.. A moment ago he was the happiest boy in the world, and now he was the most _annoyed_. Listening to the two of them exchange honey-glazed words with each other still irked him a little, even though he knew he and Katara were over. They're just friends now, as they were before the whole relationship happened. Irritated by a giggle of _"Oh, Zuko!"_, Aang forced his eyes shut once more. _Sleep_, he told himself, _sleep now, and don't mind anything around you._

He kept silent all the way, counting imaginary winged lemurs and how many toes there were on Appa, when a sudden silence reigned between the two lovebirds away from him. Aang slowly opened his eyes, curious as to what was happening. It was not normal for the two lovers to be silent, what with their whispered sweet nothings and loud laughter and gooey love stares. What happened?

Then all of a sudden, he heared strange noises. It sounded really weird. Was it water? Slime? Sokka leeching off their water supply again? Or maybe he was just hearing things-

"Mmmh.."

No. No he wasn't hearing things. In fact, he knew _exactly_ what it was.

"Mmmmm.."

_Kissing_, he thought with slight embarrassment. They're _kissing. _

Feeling slightly disgusted, Aang forced his eyes shut, covered his ears and promptly turned to the other side, away from the distraction.. It was a good thing both him and Toph were behind a big rock under a huge tree. He wouldn't _dare_ to picture the image of Zuko and Katara.. _kissing_. Ugh, gross! Minutes later, when his instinct told him the coast was clear, he slowly released his hands and waited for any sound, just in case his gut feeling was wrong.

Nothing. There was no sound whatsoever anymore. They must have gone away, probably to do more.. _physical intimacy_ in their tent. He opened his eyes, relieved to be rid of them.

Yet he could not sleep now, after all the _interesting_ sounds he had heard through unintentional earthbending. He was worried, as the sky was already turning shades lighter and ready to turn into day, yet he still had not got a minute of sleep at all. He tossed and turned on the soft grass, trying to find a comfortable position for some last minute sleep, when he realised that he was facing Toph now, and she was facing him. She was no longer facing the sky with her arms outstretched or anything like that. They were face to face now, only Toph was asleep. Yet there was something about her smile, the smile that had been there the entire time he went through his ordeal, that made his frustration ebb away. Her smiles always did that- it was like medicine for him; medicine for his heart whenever it ached.

Aang thought it was weird. Zuko and Katara showed so much passion in their relationship, yet it only takes a smile or a hug for him and Toph to feel complete. Of course, they've had their intimate moments with one another. Said moments were rare, but special.

His eyes wandered over to Toph once again. _Why aren't we like them?_ He thought. No, it wasn't that he didn't appreciate the love they share for each other or anything. He was just.. wondering. Looking at how peaceful Toph looked in her sleep as a few strands of her bangs swayed with the wind, he finally found the answer to his own question.

They didn't need that.

It would be nice for them to share some passionate romantic moments with each other just like Zuko and Katara did, but he knew they were still young compared to the other two. The time will come for more intimacy when they get older. But for now, in their youth, knowing the other one is feeling happy is much more rewarding than a romantic kiss. Toph's happiness is his happiness too.

His thumb gently rubbed her knuckles as he admired the sleeping earthbender next to him. He simply adored that smile plastered on her porcelain white skin. They didn't need all that fiery romantic passion;

they only need one smile.

A/N: One of the many reasons why I adore Taang: their subtle romance. First fic, go easy on me. Reviews are welcome. :D


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